Tire.



H. B. WALLACE. TIRE.

APPLICATION. FILED AUG. 18, |916- H 1 ,258,505. l Patented Mar. 5,1918. 4 sHEETsQsHEET l.

H. BQWALLACE.

TIRE.v APPLlcATnoN FILED AuG.1s,|916.

Patented Mar. 5, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

H. WALLACE. TIRE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-I8 |916.

1 ,Z5-8.505. Patented Mar. 5, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3 H. B. WALLACE.

TIRE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG- I8| |9116-l Patented Mar. 5, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4 HARRY B. WALLACE, 0F ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

TIRE.

speclcation of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 5, 1918. f

Application illed August 18, 1913. Serial No. 115,638.

To ali whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY B. WALLACE, a.

citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have-invented certain new and useful Improvcments in Tires, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to tires, especially of the kind that are used on automobiles,

and moreJ particularly to the construction of- -the inner tubes intended to be incloscd in the outer casingsof pneumatic tires for aufo-. mobiles, 'although'it may be applied, also,`

to the manufacture of casings minus inner tubes and adapted to the combined function of holding air and serving as a road-contacting member.

The objectsofthisginvention are, among others, to make the part of the mner tubev y v Vtratlng a com letejalrtightcasmg'andtube that is adjacent to the4 tread of the tire stronger' and vto that extent 'puncture proof; so to construct the said inner tube as to elimto eliminate ipinches; to eliminate the. transverse 'seam customarily found in 'inner tubes;.tovfacilitate, and therefore' che'a en,

= the process' of manufacture; and to pro uce l part of this specification and in which like out an inner tube,

other advantages that arise from the method of manufacture and apparatus and 'inhering in the construction hereinafter described.

` vWhen used as an air-holding casing wth- .l pinches aire eliminated;

blow-outs from rim-cuts are obviated,

, `because vof a-Ipreventive element; and the same cheapfandeiective method of manufacture may be used as above mentioned for the manufacture of inner tubes.

In. the accompanying drawings forming numbers of reference denote like parts wher- 'ever they occur,

but illustrate modifications of this invention; v

Fig. 4 isa. sectional view 'illustratingian inner tube of this Ainvention contained inthe mold in which itis cured;

y. Fig. 5 is a Asid'c-elevation fof'one form of core 0H Which-the inner tube of. this invenff tion may ber/formed:I

-may be built, showing an incomplete linner -"vention; 'and Fig.6 is a sectional view of the same on the llne 6-6, Fig. 5;

Figi' is a sectional view of a. preferred form of core upon which the said inner tube tube onthe said core just before being removed therefrom to be completed and p aced in the mold for curing;

Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional view illustrating another form of core for forming a 6154 seamless inner tube of the same shape in cross section as a-n'ordinary casing and upon which the same can be formed inA accordance with the herein-described method;

Fig. 9 is a transverse sectional view 1lus 1c A trating after vuleanization a seamless inne"I tube of thekind'just mentioned formed on the core shown in -Fig 8;

Fig. .101s a'transverse sectlonal illus? combined ma Fg. 11a 'isa aideelentiaa-if-.affini arm: l

:'80 theirighc of jFig.f7" wit outzan "material 'f thereon. .",f a;

This invention I will first be,describedfueA for inner tubes to `befinserted in caging'g" and? able 'clencher, or straightside-1type, Abut is Yshown in the'drawings asof -theclenchel' type, having`thecustomary beads 2, whichare held bythe flanges 3 of theriln 4 offthcv wheel (not'shown). j 1" The valve 5 may be of anyl ordinaryfco'nf struction, andfis held within the' inner tube by its flanged head 6 and thef nut'l, which bears upon the keeperfplate 8, thesai d. .nut

I -7 rotating upon the threads 9 on the exj terior of the valve 5. It is to be understoodthat the head 6 of the said valve 5 isi'n'sert. ed within the inner tube lO'beforethe same. is vulcanized and drawn down ti-ghtlyagain's't its wall. The keeper-plate 8 vtheny slid along the valve 5 until it'coines in contactwith the ring ll'attached to the nnertube 'liland forming part thereof; and theglldf i (i and the said plate 8` are together by the turnin of nut 7 on the threads 9r The inner tu e is then placed in the mold 12 for vulcanization, as shown in Fig. 4.

It will be observed froman examination of Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 10 that when the nut 7l is turned into place on .the inside of rim 4, i

metal calendar rolls or mandrels and thus cured and later bent into annular form and joined at their ends by a transverse seam and the said transverse seamvulcanized. The said' transverse seam has been a point of weakness and a place where leaks resulting in dat vtires have often occurred. Thel sai l calendar rolls bearing the inner tubes during as a formduring curing. The molding cores the said curing are out of use for shaping purposes during the process o f curing being use in curing as internal molds. In ieu of the said rolls, fair orother liuid under pres' sure is used in the process of this invention 13 Yand 14 shown in Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8, an 11 of the drawings maybe made of wood, because, aocordingto the herein-described process of molding and curing, it is not necessary to introduce .the said cores into thecuring oven,

u but .one of the advantages of this invention is that-it rovides "for the removal of the molded tulie from the molding core before `introduction into the curing oven. Metal cores are, moreover, more ex those made of wood or simi ar material. The cores. illustrated and describedherein may be collapsible, if desired, but need not necessarily be so, and they maybe made not alone of wood but of any desired material.

Embedded in the rubber material of the inner tube 10'isi a strip or a Vplurality of strips of fabric of textile or other protective material 15 adapted to stop the entrance of any penetrating point or instrument that pas through the tube 10. It is, of course, well understood that the air contained within air space 16 inside the innertube 10 cannotv escapo' until a puncture has been made through the entirefthickness of tube 10, ineludingv the. fabric strips 15.

Certain other features of the `construction of Athis invention will be best understood Y when stated in the following description of the method of. manufacture of these tires.

. The method of making one ofthese tubes nsive than.

ave .pierced the casing 1` and begun to A is substantially the same whether the molding core depicted in Figs. 5 and 6 or the other form of molding core depicted in Fig. 7 or that form of core'shown in Fig. 8 or any other shape of core is used and Whether the product is of the form shown in Fig. 1 or that shown in'Fig. 7 or in theloptional forms illustrated in Figs. 2, .3, and 10. The

necessary changes in steps can easily be made according to' which form of product is desired, but 'the method will irst be de.- j

scribed in connection with Fig. 7.

The core or tire' mold 14 is first placed in position on a tire mold holder of ordinary construction, which holder is not illustrated in the drawings. Then upon and around the said corel 14 Aannularly and. nearly circumferentiallya layer 17 of plastic rubber is laid and Worked upongth'e core 14 fromthe notch 18 all the way around to the shoul-A der 19. Then at and to eachside of the tread part of the tire a layer 15 lof'ffabric isLworked upon the said layerof rubber 17 .soas `to ad here thereto. After this a secondv ply-of plastic rubber 20 is laid upon said fabric -ply -15 and worked thereon and from a point' located approximately`at the point marked 21 all the way around to approximately the point marked 22 upon the flange 23 of core v14, theyha'rd rubber or semi-hard rubber or built-up fabric'bead orring 11 having. previl ously been placed within thecore .1 4 and closely fitting and adhering more or le to the plastic rubber material `17; Following the placing and workinglof plastic rubber material 20, another py of fabric 15 is placed thereon and worked thereupon like the fabric layer last mentioned, and their t the outer ply of plastic-rubber 24 is laid in placeand Worked up'on the ply of fabric 15. underlying the same, near-its ends 2 5 and 26 being chamfered Aor tapered 'so as to end in 'smooth connection with and adhesion to ply 20. I l

1n the foregoing description, where rubber or fabric' is said to-be Worked upon an underlying member, it is understood that the same is accomplished by suitable hand or other tools, 'such as rollers, knives, mallets, pestles, or the like.

After the inner tube has been constructed as hereinbcfore described, it is slipped oil the core- 14 by loosening yit at the point 22 of course, ifga collapsible core is used it is the core is brought together with the `opposing side, so that the part-of the tire that when on the core lies adjacent to the shoulder I9 vmeets with 4that part ofA the tubewhich when .simply collapsed), and then'that part of the fsame adjacent to the said point 422 when on v tube, being of plastic rubber, is easily moldpoint like 27 igs. 1, 2, and 3) becomes thin by the rim ,cutting therethrough, -the` pressure from the inside out of-the com"vl shown in Fig. 7) through which the stern.

5 of the valve 54 is inserted, as hereinbefore described, and the same protrudes outwardly through vthe ring 11 and that art of the plastic rubber tube material t at extends' when on the core from the shoulder 19 to the point marked 22. The said part of the led around the said valve 5.

After the tube has-been formed in the manner hereinbcfore described and all the partsthereby causd-to adhere more or less to'adjoining parts byireason of the adhesiveness ofthe plastic rubber: `1ies,.the tube is laced in a two-piece moldhsepicted in. ig. 4 in sectional view, which mold 'has 20 la holebetween the two sections, enabling the valve 5-to protrude therethrough. .Air or other yHuid is injected `through ,the said valve, so, that the. tube is 'inatxl to the -full any suitable closure (not shown) is applied tof'tbermuth of the vl,valve 5, .and the mold 12'cotaining the tubeis introduced into the lcuring' oven. Bvthis nethod of manufa i ture, it will bey observed thatthe valve 'stem son @vulcanized in its placein'the' tube atthe @same time and' bythe-same operation fas y 1. nd thereafter th-whole is curfedbyy ldiakinm'theitube produced as herenbefore Whilethe plies 205a`nd 24"- underlap the same (the whole. being vulcanized into one. intevgral mass), negatives'the presence of 'a containing*possiblitiesff leakage.

v It should noted thatin Figs. 1, 2, an 3 the'inner tube 10 is shown as inflated to insideuof the casing 1, but," if desired', a slightair space maybe-'left between the said inncrtub'e and" the'fpartof the inside 1of the vcasing 1 ,adiacenti to .its tread; the same 4being accomplished merely by the in` `troductit'nn' o f Aless air. Due to .the fact that the trea'cl side of fthe tube preferably contans protective st rips15, inilation ofl the size of the mold-v or toiany thersize desired,

seam l.

approximately enclose or tight fit -with the" tubewillexpnndvarst theparcs away from'. the s'aidst'ti'ps and tliuslavesuh air space vpinchesfare obviated by the construction jacent to their attachment to their -r'espec- '75 tive rims. Wh the wall of a casing at a pressed air contained within the inner tubel 80 produces avblowout at, for instance, such a. point as 27. In the preferred construction'of'the ring 11, as shown'in Figs. 1, 2, Y 3, and 10, the bead or ring 11 w'ill extend,

'higher than the flanges 3 of the ri'mgi and 85 prevent blow-outs due to rim-cutting, because there -canbe no blow-outs through ring or bea'dllr-` 'l j In Fig. 3. the bead or ring llfnsistsfof a pairlof members 28 of material like 'that L90 'hereinbeforegmentioned in connection with ring 11` whieh,members-28 become arnalgamated "intoz'-1 one in f the hereinbeforegdea 1 scribed 'i of vulcanization @with thorn.

upn that@ fffth'@ eiffirst-fx'nentioned" ply ofrubbe nd vvat its otherv end-5 2 lies andluderlaps the 'said ring""11. next outer :ply v:underlalps the en d .iff

Said n.130 mafencimies n1 within 'ii t ri underlies; itsend 30 -at 31., Rubberfply32 lie's outsideof fall the vaorementio ned plies,

its end beine,charnfered at 33.

In Fig; 3 fthe inner` tubeA 1,0 is made'fi-"a tubular ply `iafwhich lies above the filling-1,41#` composed until" vulcanizatipn of the' twoffv f plastic mmllrl Separated from .the-Ply' 15 34 by ajabrn:v strip 15. Superimposedupon' overla'opitlgeach other, while the 0f the said-Plyincirclethe lies a4 (1135, overlying the ply having the endsgasena y semihard rubber members 28.- Outsid-...Qf 120- the plastic rubber ply 3 4 isa'nother tubular v' last-mentioned ply, and has cham-fered ends 39.

One advantage of termin(r an4 inner tube upon an annular core liketliose herein described aiid illustrated, rathe than upon long calendar rolls or mandrels, is that the right'amount of material will be spread upon the outer surface of the said core andl a lesser amount upon the inner surface of such core and the said material is molded in the right manner in its curvilinear form. A straight tube that is subsequently bent into annular shape naturally tends to break and crack on the inside of the curve beca'use it has too much material there for its curvature and tends likewise to break and separate onvits outer `eircumrence because it has relatively too little material there.

. 4It should be understood that in the forms illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 7, 9, and 10 the yvalve `5 is cemented to the tube and within the ring 1'1in the process of vulcanization or curing of the tube. 'In theform shown iirFig. v3 all that is necessary for its location in position `is that it shall be inserted be tween the members 28. while in the' form of ring-11 shown in Figs.l 10, 9, 7, 2andf1, in

whiclrthe` said ring is composed oa single member,`it is necessary to Ileave a' hole througlifvvhich it can bepassed.

The fube when placedin themold 12 may be inflated withl vair or other fluid lunder pressure, which serves as a `forni uponwhicli l thev tire is4 held while being vulcanized,-`o'b viatingthe` use of metal .cores as such internal y 1f. l

`,W'liile the foregoing' description .has been applied to the `manufacture of what are lm o'wn s inner tubes for pneumatictires, the same. rinciples ofr construction and method vcip-manufacture ma be, mutatis mutandaapplied to the making of casings, as illustrated 4in Fig. 10, in which the use of an iner tube is dispensed with, and the tire 43n (built up of plies of plastic rubber in substantially the saine manner as describedin connection with Figf'?) serves as a .combined inner tube and casing. v4The tire of Fig. 10 hasthe ring 11, valve 5 and connected parts, andthe alternated plies of rubber` and protective fabric hereinbefore described in connection with Figs. 1, 2, 3,l

and k7. The function of the ring 11 shown in 10, though having a somewhat differenu'ape from that of the same member shown in the said other figures, is the same asA hereinbefore described, namely, aty the point 27 to prevent blow-outs from rimcutting and, also, to prevent pinches.

` Within the method of making tires herein described and within the contemplation of the scope of this invention is a seamless inner tube 40 (see Fig. 9) 'of substantially the same Shape and size as the inside cavity of an ordinary outer casing within which the Vpressure lvjtlrf said tube is to be used, the said inner tube being built upon a core 41 (see Fig. 8). If the core 41 is of the collapsible kind, it is removed from the inside of the. incomplete tube 42. If the core 41 be not collapsible, the incomplete tube 42 is removed therefrom by lifting the flap at one side thereof. In either event, the opposing flaps ofincomplete .tube 42 are brought adjacent to each other, a ring 11 is inserted in positionbetween the same in substantially the same manner ashereinbefore described in connection with Fig. 7 a valve 5, havinga head (i, `a keeper-plate 8, and a nut 7, is assed through a hole in the said ring 11 in-rthe same manner as hereinbefore described, and A the o posing fiaps of'the incomplete tube 42 are t ien overlapped .in connection' with the said ring 11 and with' each other, so as to form an inner tube substantially such as is vulcanized4 in place inthe said Ktube atv l thesame time and operation as the vulcani 'zation of the said tube.'

In rigs; 1, 2, mia the .plies of 'plastic rubber from which the-tubesare built up in p the manner described inconnect-ion with Figs.V 7 ,andA 8 are 'indicatedpalthough.the process of vulcanization 'sovblends thefsame illus-r removal from `the -v1canzing or curin oven-that is to say, before the air or fiui n the same-is reduced lor "re' leased. i i

It is evident that the hereinde'scribed process of manufacturing tires is much cheaper than any heretofore practisedf r the following,- among other, reasons: sep

rate` vulcanization of a transverseseam is obvihted, because 1n these tiresthere is no together as to lmake"thejpliesofplastic rubtransverse lseam; separate vulcanization of" the valve into place in the tireis obviated, becausev that isA done Asimulta'nebusly with the curing of the-tire; instead of introducin the sliaping cores into the curnginolds (t us putting out of use the said coresduring the rocess of curing), the'tires' are removed rom thel said cores and they are molded in the curing' process .upon the natural core of air or .other fluid introduced into the same throughjthe valve ixnmed-f ately before being placed in the curing oven; the way of laying and working thezplies from 'which the tire is built u is'simpler and more convenient inthis'melod than in others; leaks are obviated by .this recess and thus no waste tiresineedlto 'e ,d is.- carded-pand the productproduced issu.

perioi'"4 in.' qualitv and -servebilitj therefore, nets a larger result to the manufacturer.

One of the reasons why tires (or tubes) as herein described are more durable than those otherwise constructed is that less pressure is necessary for adequate air inflation thereof. Another reason is that they are better cushioned on the tread.

The inner tubes made in. accordance With this invention to be used in outer casings can be shaped so as to tit exactly the interior contour of such an outer casing, instead of being made in the tubular form now practised on mandrels or calendar rolls. When such a tubular inner tube is placed inside a casing, it assumes the wedge shape of the interior contour of the casing only by reason of the air pressure being so excessive as to force it out of its own tubular shape and so as to assume any shape possible to give it by expansion. The herein described method of manufacture, however, allows the inner tube to be conformed in manufacture to the shape of the interior contour of a casing (which, as at present practised, is somewhat wedge shape), and the result is that when air inflation takes place it is not necessary to introduce an enormous pressure adequate to force a tubular-shaped inner tube into the shape demarked by the outer casing, but the introduction of slight air pressure causes the walls of the inner tube of this invention (shaped in manufacture to conform to the inner contour of the casing) to take the shape of the interior contour of thefcasing, Iand a very slight additional pressure will impart to the tire all the resiliency necessary. One of the greatest causes of deterioration in tubes and casings is the eX- cessivc pressure from within the same caused by air linflation adequate to meet present conditions; but with the inner tubesl of this invention half the air pressure commonly applied in other makes is sufficient. For this reason, it has been found in actual practice that a casing of ordinary make having a weak spot or weak spots from cuts or other causes which would result in an immediate blow-out if inflated adequately for the insertion of an ordinary inner tube of the kind customarily new in use can not only be used with a tire of the kind herein described shaped to coliform to the interior augmented service.

It is well known that tires that are highly inflatedl with air are hard-riding, while tires with air under inflated, z. e., having a, lessdegrce of air-pressure Within'the same, are easy-riding. It is, therefore, another advantage of this invention that, while adequately infiated with half the air-pressure properly necessary for other tires, the tires of this invention are easy-riding, because of the less degree of air-pressure used in properly inflating the same'. This is an advantage for any kind of car, but is a particular advantage in ambulances, pleasure cars, and the like. The more gently a. car rides the less will be the vibration and, consequently, deterioration of all parts.A It will be observed that in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, and 9 of the drawings the inner tube is in each case indicated as having a wedge-shaped form toward the bottom and shaped otherwise corresponding substantially to the interior contour of an ordinary outer casing.

While the ring 11 has been herein mentioned as an element used together with other elements, such, for instance, as the plies of rubber or the plies of fabric or the valve, nevertheless it should be clearly understood that after vulcanization of the tire or tube the whole constitutes an integral mass in which the individual elements, such, for instance, as the said plies of rubber and the ring and the said plies of fabric and the said valve, are fused together and constitute a single unitary article. It shouldI be also understood that, while, for purposes of convenience and in order to give en example of one form of this invention, the ring 11 has been described as being an element used while the tire or tube is in the making, nevertheless the same may be omitted entirely and the other building elements united and vulcanized'into a unitary whole.

I claim:

A pneumatic tire provided with a crosssectionally wedge-shaped, circumferential rib, of harder material than the tire, the base of the wedge extending above the flanges of a wheel rim when the tire is mounted thereon.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

HARRY B. WALLACE. 

